Scott Mangold

The 2020 elections could resemble a game of musical chairs.

When the candidate filing period closed on Friday evening, multiple past and present elected officials had announced their intentions to seek new positions: A former Powell mayor is looking to join the Park County Commission, a former commissioner is looking to join the state Senate and a former Hot Springs County clerk now hopes to represent Park County in the state House.

Meanwhile, a few newcomers are mounting challenges to incumbents — and a former state lawmaker in Cody is vying to retake his seat in the state House of Representatives.

While the tail end of the May 14-May 29 filing period drew some new candidates, not a single Democrat signed up to run for any of the local partisan positions up for election.

Park County Commission

Up until the final day of the filing period, it appeared as though current Commissioners Lee Livingston and Jake Fulkerson might go unopposed in August’s Republican primary election.

But on Friday, two other members of the GOP joined the fray. The first was Ted Smith of Cody. He works as a custodian for the Park County government, is studying agricultural education at Northwest College and has past experience as an elected official, serving as a township trustee in Huron County, Ohio, in the 1980s.

The second was Powell City Councilman Scott Mangold. The co-owner of KPOW-AM and the voice of Powell athletics, the broadcaster served as the city’s mayor from 2005 to 2012 and has served as a city councilman since 2017.

Livingston, a Wapiti outfitter, is seeking his third term on the commission while Fulkerson, a semi-retired appraiser and former school board member from Cody, hopes voters will support him for a second and final four-year term on the board.

Powell City Council

It appears as though there will be at least one new face on the Powell City Council next year, as longtime Ward I Council Member Jim Hillberry is not seeking re-election.

Two men are now vying to replace him: James Andrews, the owner of Powell’s Red Zone Bar and a 2016 mayoral candidate, and Geoff Hovivian, a Powell Valley Healthcare EMT and firefighter.

In Ward II, Councilman Floyd Young is seeking re-election and has drawn no opposition.

Over in Ward III, meanwhile, Councilwoman Lesli Spencer is facing a challenge from Heath Streeter, a delivery driver and service technician for Quality Propane.

As for Powell Mayor John Wetzel, his bid for his first full term in office has drawn no opposition. Similarly, no challengers to Cody Mayor Matt Hall have emerged.

House District 24

To hold onto her seat in the state House, Rep. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, will have to fend off not one, but two challengers who’ve previously served as elected officials.

Former Hot Springs County Clerk Nina Webber, who moved to Park County following the 2018 election, has thrown her name into the ring. She’s already put up billboards announcing her run.

Meanwhile, former Rep. Scott Court, R-Cody — who held the position from 2017 through 2018 — is looking to retake his seat. Rather than run for re-election to the House in 2018, Court filed to run for the Park County Commission, before withdrawing and making an unsuccessful bid to join the Northwest College Board of Trustees.

Newsome handily won a three-way Republican primary in 2018.

Senate District 18

It’s also a crowded field of campaign-tested Republican candidates in Senate District 18, a seat held by retiring Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody.

Former Park County Commissioner Tim French has been preparing to run for the seat for two years and longtime Cody school board member Stefanie Bell, who also began considering a run two years ago, has been studying the issues since September. Meanwhile, after contemplating the idea of leaving the Legislature entirely, state Rep. David Northrup, R-Powell, decided this spring that he would seek to move up to the Senate.

They’re joined in the race by Richard Jones of Cody, a former park ranger and a member of the Cody and Park County planning and zoning commissions. All four are vying to replace Coe, who has served in the position since 1989.

Other legislative races

In House District 25, which covers the Powell area, Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, is hoping to fend off a primary challenge from Powell businessman Chris Good, who owns Quality Propane and the fireworks company Western Pyro Enterprises. Laursen had no opponent in 2018, after contested races in 2014 and 2016.

In House District 50 — the seat currently held by Northrup — Republican Rachel Rodriguez-Williams is facing no other candidates in what is her first run for public office.

Similarly, no one is challenging Rep. Jamie Flitner, R-Greybull, whose constituency includes Garland, Deaver and Frannie. Flitner has represented House District 26 since 2017.

The primary election is Aug. 18, with early voting beginning July 2.

Though more difficult, it is not too late for some candidates to join some of the races. For instance, Democrats could make November’s general election ballot with a couple dozen write-in votes, Libertarian and Constitution party candidates can still seek to be nominated by their respective parties, and independent candidates can run for partisan offices if they collect enough signatures.